Pages

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

#BlogElul 11: Change

The high holy days are all about change.
Not only are we changing the calendar, we are asked to change ourselves.
To consider the parts of ourselves that we hope to repair, renew, redirect....and change them.

And it's hard.
So very hard.

It's much easier to float along.
Keep going the way things are going.

Change is tough.
It is so difficult to turn around, to take a different direction, to move in a new way.
But imagine the alternative:

And so the holidays come.
And we try.
As hard as we can...sometimes we do not make it.
But we try.
Change is tough.
But if we don't make the changes ourselves, then change will come.
And we might not like it.
We might not control it.
But if we make the changes ourselves, if we do the work and do the change and make it happen...
Maybe we can control it.
Maybe we can mold it and shape it and make it work.
Isn't that worth trying for?

The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is
traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for
spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin
one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the
Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a
clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others,
I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of
preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on
the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! Leave your blog Elul post in the linky below!

No comments:

Subscribe by Email!

Subscribe To

What's an Ima? What's a Bima?

Ima is Hebrew for "mom."Bima is the platform from which a Jewish prayer service is led. Rabbis typically stand on the bima to lead services.I'm a rabbi and mama...sometimes I'm up on the bima and sometimes I'm not...(Want to email me? imabima (at) gmail.com)Want to hear the other guy's perspective? Check out my husband, the Abba Sababa.